Trump signs a bill repealing ban on wolves and bears hunting in Alaska

January 22 2018

It is impossible not to hear about the flagship reform from the Trump government as it caused uproar! In April 2017, the American President signed a new bill allowing the bears and wolves hunt on over 300.000 km² on protected areas in Alaska.

What says the bill?

The bill aims to give to each State natural predator management instead of being controlled by the Federal State. Thanks to this decreet, hunters, from Alaska in particular, will indeed be able to kill bears even if they are hibernating. They have also the right to track a target animal-bears, wolves and their offsprings- into their dens and even shoot on sight from a helicopter.

Why this bill?

The elected Republicans from Alaska judged that it was the responsibility of the State to define the policy that regulates the hunting in its territory. By authorising the predators hunting, the assumed goal is to encourage the hunt practice of private individuals by letting abound the game.

The Congress has justified the approval of this decreet by claiming that it would enable hunters living in Alaska to nourish themselves.

What will happen to the bears and wolves of Alaska?

This law signed in early April by the President Trump also means the reintroduction of barbarian tools like leghold traps. They can lead to animal suffering for days and deaths. Collars, steel running bowlines are as well used. They strangle slowly the captured animals. These animals are doomed to die in atrocious suffering.

What are the long-term consequences on the ecosystem?

Bears and wolves are predators and they are playing a key part in the food chain. They regulate naturally the number of prey to avoid an overcrowding of them. It can otherwise disrupt and jeopardise the stability of the ecosystems.

This law enacted by the American President emphasizes the extinction of polar bears especially, global warming victims that caused glaciers melt in Arctic. The numbers of polar bears could drop to a third by 2050.

What do animal advocates think about it?

In the USA, this new decreet caused controversy including in the associative world.

Wayne Pacelle from The Human Society said that “ what the House (of Representatives) did today should outrage any animal lovers in the USA”.

This new law provoked a global stir, even in France where the animal rights advocates had shown their dissatisfaction.

The International Fund for animal welfare “denounces” in a statement this law “that allows animal slaughter as emblematic as grizzlies, wolves.”

The web users rallied together for incriminate a “scandalous” decreet. They launched 2 online petitions on the internet platform, Change.organd Mesopinions.com in order to avoid the bears and wolves “killing”.

And you, what can you do?

You can also show your commitment to the animal cause:

You can watch a video on the website Daily Geek Show where it summarises clearly the enacted decreet voted by the Trump government and the consequences on the lives of wolves and bears.

Sign different petitions that are available online to support animal protection.

Talk about it and spread the word to build awareness to broad audiences.